With some of its members overwhelmed by the COVID-19 pandemic entering a third year, a community centre in regional NSW is restarting its social activity group in a bid to restore confidence and self-worth.
Albury's Westside Community Centre has reintroduced its activity group for over-50s, and members say it's given some of them much-needed confidence to be part of their community again.
The centre's family youth coordinator and case manager, Stacey Franklin, said it was the right time to restart the social activity club which ceased in early 2020 soon after the arrival of COVID-19 in Australia.
Ms Franklin said in 2022 the club was about connecting people in the community including some Westside clients who lived alone and continued to spend most of their time at home despite the easing of COVID-related restrictions.
"We do lots of work with people individually and we were privy to information with our clients that some were really struggling being on their own," she said.
"We have seen a decline in people's mental health, we have seen a loss of self-worth [and some] not wanting to go anywhere and have visitors.
"There are people being left behind who do want to reconnect safely, and people have done the right thing, they have done everything to try and protect themselves. So, the group has restarted to help people connect and reconnect," she said.
Member Jane, who moved to the region two years ago, said COVID lockdowns had affected her mental health.
"Initially I didn't notice the lockdown so much because I was moving and able to transit backwards and forwards to my previous hometown," Jane said.
"But as time went on it became very, very difficult for me to form community connections because every time I started something [like] go out to do some volunteer work or join an activity group, it would stop so then you would wait a little while and have another go.
"By the end of last year, I lost interest in trying to be a part of things because it was so stop-start. I become very insular, and I was very aware of becoming a person who may not leave home very often," she said.
Club member Judy Hyde agreed lockdowns had made life harder.
"I limited where I went and not being able to see family because of border closures and lockdowns made me at times feel very, very alone," Ms Hyde said.
She said being part of the Westside community had improved her confidence.
"The activity group is something to look forward to, it gets you out and about. I'm a lot more outgoing and talkative and wanting to do different things now," she said.
Ms Hyde's daughter Ashlee, who lived interstate, said it was tough seeing the toll the past two years had had on her mum.
"It was hard seeing Mum so sad and without any of her daughters being able to visit [because of the NSW/Victoria border closures]."
She said she was grateful for community groups like Westside, which provide platforms like activity groups, for people like her mum to reconnect with others.
"It's amazing to see Mum now and see how she has grown in her community and know that she has the support of this community when we (family) are not able to support her," she said.
